about
Giacomo was born in Milan and moved to Barcelona, Spain. He currently speaks 3 languages proficiently which are: Italian, English, and Spanish. He also has basic knowledge of Lithuanian and Dutch, and can get by with a little of German and French, too.
Moving to Barcelona
How did you become a First Officer?
So, I was born in Milan. In 2018 I completed High School (tech. High School for aviation logistic), and in the same year I took the decision to move to Lithuania to enrol to one of the biggest aviation academies in Europe.
The study course lasted for nearly 3 years, when it normally takes approximately 2 years. This was due to covid-19 which impacted the flight training, as it was not possible to be done in distance, as you can imagine eheh.
After Lithuania, my flight school relocated us to Spain because the flight operation base was located in an airport far from Barcelona roughly 1h30m by car.
Then as you know, in February 2020 pandemic time came, and I got stuck in Spain with other pals, till Summer 2020 when with the reopening of the activity I was able to resume my flight training. Then winter came and heavy restrictions were put in place which led my school to interrupt the flight training for roughly 8 months. At this time, me and another friend, had to make the decision to either go back to Italy and re-start to live with our family, or find a job to allow us to continue to live without the need to burden our family financially, as my flight training career costs more than 100,000 euros, until you get a job as First Officer.
Therefore, I sent several CVs, and I got hired by Amazon Czech Republic as Shift Analyst. As soon as I got the contract, I packed all my stuff, loaded my car and I drove from Spain to Prague, where I lived from December 2020, till May 2021.
Then in May 2021, my school called me back to restart the training and to complete the last phase, in order to get the licence that I was dreaming of.
During this time, I got the opportunity to ask for a transfer to another team in Amazon, moving from Shift Analyst to Risk Analyst for Last Mile operation with relocation to Barcelona.
From May 2021 till July 2021, I was doing both at the same time: working during the night, and flying during the day. It was tough, I cannot hide, but this allowed me to continue to live on my own, without asking extra money from my family, and at the same time complete my licence, which eventually I got in July 2021.
After I got my licence, as per the market was still heavily affected by covid-19, finding a job in aviation at that time was really hard, even impossible. Therefore, I had to âtight my teethâ and continue to work for Amazon, where eventually I was able, without a specific desire, to step up and become Team Lead, and in the last period I was able to become Manager within one of the cross-functional teams within the last mile operation.
During my âamazonianâ time from June 2021 till April 2023, my desire for aviation never plunged, and actually increased more and more, leading me to send my CV to every airline in Europe. Eventually I got called by two major low cost airlines operating in Europe, but unfortunately due to the long time away from aircrafts, my skills were not up to being selected during the hiring process.
Of course, this was terrible mentally, but this never pushed me to abandon my dream. Eventually in February 2023, a Swiss company invited me for the selection. I cannot hide that I was super terrified because of the previous two experiences, and therefore I did all that I could to prepare myself for this selection. Despite my fears, I successfully passed the selection and this airline selected me to join them.
I cannot hide that I was super happy. Except my sister, I hadn’t told anyone, including my parents, that I was going to this selection. When I called them to inform them about it, it was such a joy and relief after nearly 2 years of waiting, making them proud after all their investment to make my dream come true.
In April 2023, I started to prepare for the type of aircraft my company flies with, and completed all the courses required. Then, on a chilly morning of July 2023 I took off out of Basel with the first complex heavy aircraft doing the first maiden flight as First Officer.
After Lithuania, my flight school relocated us to Spain because the flight operation base was located in an airport far from Barcelona roughly 1h30m by car.
Then as you know, in February 2020 pandemic time came, and I got stuck in Spain with other pals, till Summer 2020 when with the reopening of the activity I was able to resume my flight training. Then winter came and heavy restrictions were put in place which led my school to interrupt the flight training for roughly 8 months. At this time, me and another friend, had to make the decision to either go back to Italy and re-start to live with our family, or find a job to allow us to continue to live without the need to burden our family financially, as my flight training career costs more than 100,000 euros, until you get a job as First Officer.
Therefore, I sent several CVs, and I got hired by Amazon Czech Republic as Shift Analyst. As soon as I got the contract, I packed all my stuff, loaded my car and I drove from Spain to Prague, where I lived from December 2020, till May 2021.
Then in May 2021, my school called me back to restart the training and to complete the last phase, in order to get the licence that I was dreaming of.
During this time, I got the opportunity to ask for a transfer to another team in Amazon, moving from Shift Analyst to Risk Analyst for Last Mile operation with relocation to Barcelona.
From May 2021 till July 2021, I was doing both at the same time: working during the night, and flying during the day. It was tough, I cannot hide, but this allowed me to continue to live on my own, without asking extra money from my family, and at the same time complete my licence, which eventually I got in July 2021.
After I got my licence, as per the market was still heavily affected by covid-19, finding a job in aviation at that time was really hard, even impossible. Therefore, I had to âtight my teethâ and continue to work for Amazon, where eventually I was able, without a specific desire, to step up and become Team Lead, and in the last period I was able to become Manager within one of the cross-functional teams within the last mile operation.
During my âamazonianâ time from June 2021 till April 2023, my desire for aviation never plunged, and actually increased more and more, leading me to send my CV to every airline in Europe. Eventually I got called by two major low cost airlines operating in Europe, but unfortunately due to the long time away from aircrafts, my skills were not up to being selected during the hiring process.
Of course, this was terrible mentally, but this never pushed me to abandon my dream. Eventually in February 2023, a Swiss company invited me for the selection. I cannot hide that I was super terrified because of the previous two experiences, and therefore I did all that I could to prepare myself for this selection. Despite my fears, I successfully passed the selection and this airline selected me to join them.
I cannot hide that I was super happy. Except my sister, I hadn’t told anyone, including my parents, that I was going to this selection. When I called them to inform them about it, it was such a joy and relief after nearly 2 years of waiting, making them proud after all their investment to make my dream come true.
In April 2023, I started to prepare for the type of aircraft my company flies with, and completed all the courses required. Then, on a chilly morning of July 2023 I took off out of Basel with the first complex heavy aircraft doing the first maiden flight as First Officer.
When and why did you move to Barcelona?
I moved to Barcelona in December 2021, because my work with Amazon was based in Barcelona, until that time I was able to perform in Smart working from Lleida. As my flight school finished, my school mates were going back to their countries, and no one was staying, so I decided to move to Barcelona.
Since then, I have continuously lived in Barcelona. Also, my airline allows me to live where I want, therefore due to my new friendships built in the city, and other fiscal advantages, I made the decision to remain here.
How did you get set up? (phone plan, bank ..)
To set up your living in Spain, the most important thing you need to get is the NIE. The NIE is a number which certifies that you become a tax resident in Spain, and allows you to sign any sort of contract from phone to bank accounts. Getting the NIE at the beginning of the process might not look linear and simple, but when you get used to it, it is pretty much straight forward. For European Citizens the process is very fast, just donât mess up with the document needed for the appointment. If you have all of them, on the same day you get this little green piece of paper, which will allow you to access all the contracts you need to sign as mentioned above.
Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance?
Getting medical insurance is not that complex. Let me add that Amazon was already providing, as perks, the private medical insurance. Therefore, after I left Amazon, and because I work for a Swiss Company, I had to re-subscribe on my own to the same Medical Insurance because no Social Security was covering me since I didnât work for a Spanish company.
The process is pretty easy and straightforward. The cost varies, but I would say the option provided by Sanitas costing approx. 63 bucks per month, is the go-to plan to have all that kind of services needed for keeping you healthy.
One of the potential barriers you could encounter could be the language. As I speak Spanish, the process was pretty easy, but if you donât, this could be, maybe, more time consuming and frustrating.
How did you find an apartment?
For Spain my suggestion is to go with Idealista, or get in touch with Real Estate Agencies.
Idealista is a great tool, but be very careful of potential scam you could come across. For the estate agency, get ready to pay high fees, normally they ask 10% of the total sum of one year of rent + 2 months of deposit.
I had a really nice experience, although, with VIVENIO. They are a company building houses, and placing them in rent, and they donât have fees!! They have buildings all around Spain, and maybe you can find something fitting your needs.
Flatio is also a good alternative, not to get lost with all the bureaucracy needed when you rent an apartment. The offer in Western Europe is not that big, but give a look as far as I know, they are expanding.
What did you bring with you?
When I moved in 2018 I left with two big suitcases, and little by little across the 13 moves I had to do till now, I ended up loading my car three times to move all the stuff.
What should people consider before deciding to move to Barcelona?
Definitely, the offer that you receive. Barcelona is not as cheap as other parts of Spain. A good wage to accept would be at least 1700E and above. With this amount you can pay the rent for a room in a shared house, and you can enjoy some perks during your free time. For living in a solo apartment, well, at least 2500/3000E is needed, maybe less, but it also depends on the extra cost you have in your free time. Average price for a single bedroom place is around 1200 and above, but be careful, the less expensive they are, the older they are, the higher the costs of utilities are!! In my old apartment built in the 70s, I was paying 1000E for the rent, and 4/500E of utilities.
Living in Barcelona
What surprised you about life there?
About Barcelona and Spain, well as you can expect: climate(!!), and living on the coast, it has the perks of being in a big city, and having the beaches next to your door. Furthermore, I got my first motorbike, and with this climate you can use it all year around, as the temperatures are mild enough not to get frozen when riding.
I was also very surprised by Lithuania and Vilnius. They are amazing. Of course winter is long and tough, but the country is very vibrant, and offers a lot, and it is in continuous growth, with a lot of young people around. I cannot hide that if one day I got an opportunity to get back to Vilnius, I wouldn’t refuse it.
What specifically is Barcelona famous for?
Barcelona is famous for many things, definitely being a metropolis of 5 million people next to the sea, having a lot of cultural sights and its vibrant culture, makes it one of the best cities to move to if you are 18 to 40 years old. You can spend a day playing beach volley and tanning at Barceloneta, getting lost in Barrio Gotic within its houses and shops, enjoying tapas in one of the bars, partying out in Tusset in one of the best discos, and completing with a walk in Sarria. From my POV, other cities in Spain are also worth considering. Madrid definitely is another great city to move to for the great cultural and gastronomic offers, without mentioning Valencia, Alicante, and Malaga!!
What apps / websites / stores do you find useful in your daily life in Barcelona?
Mercadona is the way to go for your groceries due to the good quality of the products vs the price. Also, Al Campo is very good, and it is my reference for the groceries, because itâs very close to the place where I live.
For shopping, you have big malls like the Westfield glories, and Maquineta. But also Amazon, Glovoo are the way to go.
Just bear in mind that Sunday conventional grocery stores and malls are closed, unless it is close to Christmas time.
To move around the city my suggestion is to use public transport which is very spread out. But also the free floating bike rent is very cheap; you pay a fixed year subscription of 25E (if I am not wrong) and then you can pick one of the bike, or hybrid one having the first 30 mins free of charge, and then paying as little as 0,25E for each 30 mins on the top the 30 mins free of charge.
For taxis, well you have tons of options, as they are not very expensive as in Italy. A ride from Barcelona to the airport can cost approx 20/30E depending from where you depart from, on a normal time of the day excluding the peak mornings or nights when workers are getting back to their houses. The main apps for cabs in the city are: Cabify (n.1 choice), Uber, Bolt.
If you want to enjoy the city with a scooter instead, you have tons of opportunities where you can take one of the free floating scooters around the city, and move faster point to point, without spending big amounts. In this case, you can use: Acciona, Cooltra, Yego, and many more, depending on what you need.
Do you need to speak Spanish to live in Barcelona?
I would say that in the city, basic Spanish could be a great asset for you to have, even if the city is full of expats, and in the city center you can easily have an English conversation. On the other hand, if you need to perform anything related to the state, which could not be done online, Spanish is very needed.
I know Spanish, because I studied it when I was in middle school, as it was mandatory to learn a 3rd language. My mother always pushed me to keep it up, as it would have been a great asset in the future (and she was totally right), plus during summer I was used to being sent abroad by my family for English courses (E.G. UK, Ireland), most of the time the group was formed by Spaniards, so I ended up reinforcing my Spanish more than my English eheh.
As far as I know, in the city you can find tons of schools providing you courses for very little fees, plus my suggestion is also to build friendships with locals or people from Spain so you can get into their mentalities and learn their culture, helping you to succeed with the learning of the language!
Final Thoughts
What are your favorite places in Barcelona?
My favourite places in the city definitely are: Tibidado with its restaurant and fun fair park, Montjuic, Espai Mireia, Casteldefels (if you are an aviation lover, you will enjoy it even more for the great view of aircraft landing and departing from the BCN Airport), and Sarria.
What is the most recent thing you've read in the news about life in Barcelona?
The most recent news Iâve read was related to Cataluña, which due to climate change issue, is undergoing a very serious drought crisis, where the water reserve plunged to just 12%, when normally in this period they are supposed to be filled up by the rain, which is not actually taking place. This winter was very dry with mild temperatures. Therefore some limitations by the local government were put in place to avoid it dropping even below this threshold, also keeping in mind that summer is coming, and as you can expect for Spain, itâs very hot and dry.
What do you think about young Spanish people?
Young Spanish people are, as southern people, really open minded, and you easily get along very well with them, they are always open, and spontaneous like all the Mediterranean. Of course, they are extroverts as Italian are, and if you are coming from a Nordic country, this at the beginning can place you outside of your comfort zone, but then you get it. Also, you can build very good friendships, and the city is full of expatriates from every single place of the earth, so you will also be able to easily meet people from your same country!
What's on your list of favorite restaurants and cafés in Barcelona?
My list of favorites places in barcelona are:
Espai mireia
Azimuth Rooftop bar
Terraza Pulitzer
LâArrosat
W Lounge and W Bar
Lomo Alto
Sagardi
Nu Bar
The lobster Roll Barcelona
Belillo Pizzeria
La Azotea Quinto Quinta
Eixampelling Brunch Cafe
Espai mireia
Azimuth Rooftop bar
Terraza Pulitzer
LâArrosat
W Lounge and W Bar
Lomo Alto
Sagardi
Nu Bar
The lobster Roll Barcelona
Belillo Pizzeria
La Azotea Quinto Quinta
Eixampelling Brunch Cafe
Is Barcelona or Madrid better?
I prefer Madrid over Barcelona, but the big issue by my POV of Madrid is the lack of the sea, and the climate. But for working and leisure purposes, Madrid is the way to go.
How much money do you need to live comfortably in Barcelona?
As mentioned above, to live comfortably a good wage for me after tax should be in the range of 2500E a month net. Consider that for this wage tax applied should be approx. 25% (IRPF).
Do you feel safe?
I feel overall safe, but definitely as you live in a metropolis crime is existing, so donât expect to be in Singapore, or in a nordic country, but don’t live in fear all the time you get out of your house either.
Can you tell us something else about Barcelona that we might not know?
Something you might not know and many incorrectly use when coming here, is the way to shorten the city name. Many use Barça, as the shortened version of Barcelona. But Barça is the football team, and when locals listen to you saying this, they start to laugh. The way to shorten the city is Barna, or BCN.
What do you know about music from Barcelona?
Music, uff good question, lots of musicians are coming from this city, but I will just say a name: Rosalia!
Are there any experiences there that you are particularly proud of or that surprised you?
Well definitely, the decision to continue to live in Spain, and building friendships here and relationships, surprised me very positively, for the way they approach it compared to where I come from (Milan, Italy). Also, the great opportunity which the market offers to you if you are looking for a job, or if you study, or whatever.
Was it easy making friends and meeting people?
If you start to work here, itâs really easy to build up friendships around locals and non locals, getting into the local culture. Also, as a student it would not be difficult, as going to uni will allow you to meet many different people. I socialise both with locals and non locals, and my group is composed of many different people from different places (Argentina, Portugal, Luxembourg, Italy, and more). Plus, when you hang out you will have a melting pot of people from different places, and if you have good vibes you can meet tons of people!
What are some disadvantages to living in Barcelona?
Uff disadvantages, maybe having one of the region’s (cataluña) highest tax on wages compared to Madrid, for example. But apart from that, I donât see any big disadvantages.
What are your plans for the future?
Itâs something that in my career can change very easily, like now Iâm here, and maybe one day I will be somewhere else⊠mainly because of my job, offers are everywhere, and if you encounter the right one, it might take you maybe to a different country, or even to a different continent. Therefore, let’s say in the mid term, I can see Barcelona as my house, but in 3 to 5 years, maybe changes are going to take place, and I could end up somewhere else. In terms of plans for the future, I have two options on the table which are either an MSC in Aviation Management or Flight Instructor course. Iâm carefully checking the pros and cons of these two options, and then taking the decision according to the best outcome. Although maybe I could choose both of them, prioritising one, and postponing the other one. I set a deadline for this decision at the end of 2024.
Thank you so so much Giacomo for telling us about your process to get where you are today. I hope you enjoy Barcelona and Europe with all your travels and I wish you the best with your decision! His IG here
